Plain topics on ledgers, keys and digital money
Each entry gives short definitions, a worked example and the questions that are usually worth asking. Educational only, not professional advice.
Smart contracts explained step by step
A smart contract is code kept on a blockchain that carries out its rules automatically once set conditions are met. Here is what that does, what it cannot do and where flaws come from.
Reading guide
Includes a worked example
Reading wallet signing requests
Every wallet action begins with a request to sign. This guide explains the difference between transactions, signed messages and standing permissions, and what to check on the signing screen.
Reading guide
Includes a checklistWhy cross-border payments are slow
Sending money abroad usually crosses several intermediaries, each with its own checks and cut-off times, and that chain explains most of the delay people notice.
Reading guide
Includes a walkthrough
Regulation and consumer protection: who oversees what
In Canada, provincial securities regulators, federal bodies and consumer agencies each cover part of crypto activity, and a registration is a useful check but not a promise of safety.
Reading of about ten minutes with a list of who oversees what
Includes a registration checkGuides on blockchains, wallets and crypto payments
The guides cover how a blockchain keeps its records, what a digital wallet holds, how a crypto payment settles and which scams are most common. Each guide is general information and does not replace advice from a qualified professional.
How to use these guides
Each topic on this site takes a few minutes to read and needs nothing special. The basics pages cover how a blockchain records transactions and what a wallet actually stores. Further pages cover keeping recovery phrases offline, checking an address before a payment is sent and recognizing common scams. The topics stand on their own, so they can be read in any order.
A register shows what a business is registered to do; it does not say whether the business is safe. A dated record of each transaction is a common way to keep track of digital asset activity. This material is general information about blockchain and digital assets. It is not an offer, a recommendation or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.